Eric Descheenie

Eric Descheenie
Descheenie in 2017
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
from the 7th district
In office
January 9, 2017 – January 14, 2019
Preceded byAlbert Hale
Succeeded byMyron Tsosie
Personal details
Born
Tuba City, Arizona, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
EducationArizona State University, Tempe (BA)

Eric Descheenie is an American politician who is a former member of the Arizona House of Representatives and a candidate for the 2026 United States House of Representatives election in Arizona's 2nd congressional district. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life, education, and career

Descheenie was born in Tuba City, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation in 1978. His family is originally from Chinle, Arizona.[1] Descheenie attended Arizona State University (ASU) and earned his bachelor's degree in sociology. In 2004, he began working at the Arizona Governor's Office of Equal Opportunity under Governor Janet Napolitano. Following this, he became Tribal Liaison for the Arizona Department of Housing, managing the Governor's Tribal Housing Initiative.[2]

Political career

In 2016, Descheenie was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives, serving from 2017 to 2018.[3]

In 2018, Descheenie served as a delegate to the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva, Switzerland.[4]

In August 2025, Descheenie announced a campaign for the Democratic nomination for Arizona's 2nd congressional district in the 2026 election.[5]

Elections

  • 2016 – Descheenie and Wenona Benally were unopposed in the Democratic Primary and the general election.[6]
  • 2014 – Descheenie lost the District 7 senate Democratic primary to incumbent Carlyle Begay.[7] Begay would later switch to the Republican Party in 2015.

Personal life

Descheenie is a single father to three children.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Meet Eric". Flagstaff, Arizona: Eric Descheenie for Congress. p. 1. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Wittenberg, Alexandra (29 July 2025). "Eric Descheenie launches bid for Arizona's 2nd District". Navajo-Hopi Observer. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "Arizona 7th District State House Results: Descheenie and Benally Win". The New York Times. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Meet Eric". Flagstaff, Arizona: Eric Descheenie for Congress. p. 1. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Navajo man enters race for Arizona's largest congressional district". ICT. 2025-08-21. Retrieved 2025-09-29.
  6. ↑ "State of Arizona Official Canvass 2016 General Election November 8, 2016" (PDF). Phoenix, Arizona: Secretary of State of Arizona. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2016-12-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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